Improvement in railway-switches



rail B of the siding 5 WILLIAM WHAn'roN, Jn, on PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA:

IMPROVEMENTVIN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.` l

Specication forming part oi' Letters Patent No. 101,951, dated April 12,1870.

phia, county of Philadelphia, State of Penny sylvania, have invented anImproved Railroad- Switch, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Object ofthe Intention. My invention consists, first, incombining with arail of the main track a pointed switchrail forming acontinuation ot a rail of the siding, and restricted in its movementtoward the said main rail, as set forth hereafter, so

that there may always be a space between the switch-rail and main rail`wherein snow, sleet, and other obstructions can be lodged withoutinterfering with the free passage of the carwheels, and so thatthepassage of the wheels from the siding to the main track, and viceversa,`may be unaccompanied with the injurious shocks and jars impartedby ordinary switch-rails, as explained hereafter; secondly, my inventionconsists of lthe combination of the above-mentioned pointed switch-rail,having a restricted movement, with a guiderail, as and for the purposehereinafter fully explained.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing. Figure 1 is a plan view of myimproved railroad-switch as it appears when the 'rails GeneralDescription. A and-A are the rails of the main track,

f and B and B the rails ofthe siding.

D and D are the two rails of the switch, the rail D being pivoted at x,or otherwise secured at that point as to be a continuation of the or, ifdesired, it may form a part of the rail B, providing the said switchrailcan have at its outer comparatively sharppointed end a lateral movementfrom the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2.

The other rail, D', of the switch is secured permanently to thecross-ties at one end, but so that it canbe moved at its outer end tocomitted to otherwise it, are moved to the incide with the rail A of themain with the rail B' ofthe turn-out.

G is a guide-rail bolted or otherwise secured at one end to the outermovable end of the switch-rail D/,at c. The otherlrend, however,

is maintained at a suiiicient distance from the rail D to insure thepassage of the fiangesof all wheels traversing the track between thesaid rail D and the guide-rail, whether the switch is set for the maintrack or for the siding. This position of the guide-rail Gis maintainedeither by means of a spring or by a weight properly applied, or by therigidityy ot' the guide-rail G itself',v the latter, however, possessingsufficient' elasticity or being perso yield that it can be moved to theposition shown in Fig. 3.

H is a guard-rail or the proper passage ot' cars into and out of thesiding, although its presence is not essential for that purpose in thepresent instance.

The pointed rail D and the otherrail, D', of' the switch, with theguide-rail G attached to position shown in Fig. 1, or that shown in Fig.2, by means of any suitable mechanism, in the present instance a shaftwith cranks being shown.

'Vhen the switch has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, thewheels of all cars will pass along the main track, and there is asuflicient space between the main rail A and the pointed switch-rail Dto prevent the ilan ges of the wheels from striking against the end ot'the pointed rail D, there being also sufiicient space between theswitch-rail D and the guiderail G to allow of the free passage of theflanges of wheels on that side of the track.

When it is desired to transfer cars from the main track to the'sidingthe switch is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which casetheviianges of the wheels, entering between the rail D and theguide-rail G, are guided or drawn laterally a sufficient distance tocause the flanges of the opposite wheels to pass the point oftheopposite switch-rail, D, which has been moved sufciently near to therail A to escape the iianges.

While the pointed rail D thus admits of beiI g moved laterally to alimited extent, it is never brought into actual contact with the rail Aof the main track, nor with the guardtrack, or

guide-rail to assist in rail H, there being always a limited open spacebetween them.

Ordinary switches are so arranged that the pointed rail must be broughtinto contact with the adjacent fixed rail before the switch can operateproperly. This is objectionable for the reason that there may be solneforeign substance-a small stone, for instance, or chips ofwood-intervening between the switch-rail and xed rail; but the mostserious obstacle to the practical working of such switches is theaccumulation of snow or sleet, for, while it is no hard matter tocompress the same to a reduced compass, it is almost impossible tosqueeze it absolutely out ofv the way, which, however, is needed inorder to bring the rails into contact, unless the switches are alwayskeptclear of snow or ice or other obstructions.

It is my object, in thus giving a limited motion only to' the pointedrail D of the switch,

to leave sufficient space between it and the main rail A when the switchis set for the siding, or between it and the guard-rail H when theswitch is set for the main'track, and thus to overcome this difficultyof the operation of the switch being interfered with by snow or ice, orby small stones, gravel, or other obstructions.

1t would, of course, remedy this evil to construct the pointed rail D ofthe switch in such a manner that it shall be firmly iiXed to the trackwithout any lateral movement whatever. This has been often done, but, inorder that such a pointed rail should perform its duties properly, it isabsolutely essential that it should terminate at such a distance backthat the spaces between it and the other rails shall be great enough toprevent the possibility of any iiange of the wheels striking against ortraversing the wrong side of the said point. This requisite space is sogreat that severe shocks and jars, injurious alike to the rails and tothe wheels, must take place.

By giving a limited motion to the pointed rail D, I reduce the openingthus left to be crossed by the wheels to such a small size thatexcessive and injurious shocks are avoided.

`The guide-rail G, when the switch is set for the siding, as in Fig. 2,is moved to such a position that it coincides with the main rail A. lfthe switch be accidentally left in this position, and if a car shouldtraverse the main track -in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, thewheels would traverse the said guard-rail G,

which would be pressed toward the rail Dl by the flanges of the wheels,so that the latter can traverse the guide-rail, and pass thence to therail of the main track, while on the other side of the track thedistance between the pointed rail D and the main rail A is, in thepresent instance, wide enough to permit the flanges of' the wheels topass through with safety and without bending theA said pointed rail D.

In lthe present instance the guide-rail Gr is not attached to theswitch-rail D excepting at c, near the outer movable end of the saidswitch-rail D', the guide-rail Gr being kept away from the switch-railDl to the proper distance by means of the spring contained in the box m,which box also serves the purpose of resisting the pressure impartedtothatY end of the guide-rail by cars guided onto the siding.

1t will be evident, however, that variousv other devices may be employedfor such lateral support, and for maintaining the guide rail Gr awayfrom the switch-rail D', at the same time allowing it, when needed, tomove up toward the same, as, for instance, a loo bolt might be placedthrough the rail Dl and the guide-rail Gr, which would prevent themmoving farther apart than necessary, and yet allow them to be broughttoward each other, the required elasticity being obtained by a spring orweight, or by the tendency of the rail G itself, preserve its positionwhen securely attached at one end of the rail D.

The foregoing combination of the pointed rail D, having a limited motionlaterally with the main rail A, may be used with advantage ,inconnection with switches other than that lshown and described. Thecombination of the guardrail Gr with the switch-rail D', so arranged asto be capable of being pushed aside when required, may also be used withadvantage in connection with other switches.

Claim.

l. The combination, with the rail A, of the switch-rail D, forming acontinuation of the rail B ofthe siding, and restricted in its movementtoward the said rail A, as set forth.

2. The combination of the subject-matter of the first claim with theguide-rail G.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification. in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. wHAnroN, JR.

Witnesses:

J. M. COLGAN, HARRY SMITH.

especially if made of steel, to

